Fully automatic coffee makers of this type are widely known in the art. Fully automatic coffee makers provide the consumer with a wide variety of coffee beverages, such as for example cappuccino, espresso, caffe latte and similar beverages composed primarily of coffee and milk. To accomplish this, fully automatic coffee makers of this type are supplied with coffee in the form of coffee beans in a bean hopper. In order to prepare the hot beverage, the beans are ground in a grinder and then transferred to a brewing unit comprising a brewing unit. Once the brewing operation for the hot beverage has ended, the ground coffee residue, also called grounds, coming from the brewing unit or brewing unit are discharged into a collection container that is typically provided thereunder. The ground coffee residue then remains therein until the next manual emptying/cleaning by the user.
If cleaning is inadequate, or if the ground coffee residue remains for an extended period inside the collection container, it is possible for mold to form. This spreads rapidly and is sometimes a health hazard. In the case of fully automatic coffee makers of the type referenced above, the mold forms on the ground coffee residue and/or on the parts of the fully automatic coffee maker impinged upon by the ground coffee residue if such cleaning has been inadequate.
Previously, the formation of mold could be prevented inside the fully automatic coffee maker only by requiring the consumer to clean the collection pan of the collection container thoroughly and on a daily basis. However, the user frequently neglects to do this.
Another source of mold can be created by the actual coffee beans since experience has shown that a high percentage of the coffee beans contain mold spores. The water needed to brew a brewed beverage can also be contaminated with mold spores.